Volume XXII, Number 52 (Issue 1108) | December 23, 2024
Memory Lane
In the next few days, we are going to see a lot of lists reminding us of the year that was. It might be an In Memoria piece recapping those who were in the public eye that we lost in 2024. Other lists will remind us of the major news events and headlines that grabbed center stage during a news cycle or two – only to be quickly swept aside by the next attention-grabbing news story.
For many, the stroll down memory lane may take a more personal turn – one that involves both joy and sadness, bright spots, and darkness. Either way, some of those personally felt events will have signified the end of one chapter and quite possibly the start of a new one. For instance, in 2024 Sandy and I lost a very dear friend and the mother of two of our godchildren to cancer. Two of our children went through major life changes. Our son, Jake, bought my consulting practice. That one change has allowed me to reduce both my work hours and business-related travel. (Note: while I self-identify as retired, I am not fully there and probably will not reach anything approaching retired status until the end of 2025.)
Another significant chapter that has drawn to a close for us in the past year is that we sold our motor home. There are countless fond memories of family and the places we visited associated with that period in our lives. Fortunately, the photos we have will help keep those memories fresh for years to come. At the same time, the sale will have a dramatic impact on how and probably where we vacation going forward. New chapters. New adventures. New memories.
One thing I do not expect to change in the new year is my commitment to penning these weekly e-letters. I am not ready for that chapter to close as yet. While I am on the topic of Musings, one of the things I would welcome in 2025 is the opportunity to engage with more of my readers. Many of you came to be a reader as the result of a speech I delivered, a class I taught, or within the context of a client engagement. Regardless of your path to MMM, little would please me more than for our paths to cross in the near future.
All of this is to say that with the start of the new year, there is much to look forward too. The coming year will not be without its challenges and frustrations. But right now, it is a blank slate that we can fill. Think of it as our own Etch-a-Sketch that we are about to wipe clean in order to create something entirely new.
Soli Deo Gloria
“So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” Luke 2:16-20
J. Keith Hughey
Mobile: (210)260-0955
E-mail: keith@jkeithhughey.com
Website: www.jkeithhughey.com
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Copyright 2024 by J. Keith Hughey. All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted for reproduction and redistribution of this essay as provided under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Recent issues of Musings may be found at www.jkeithhughey.com. Your comments are always welcome.